THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT -- Matt. 5:6

Having played soccer in high school and college, I know a little about thirst during a 90-minute non-stop game. But after viewing the emaciated bodies of starving children in Sudan, Chad and other famine stricken Nations, I'm totally ignorant of its intensity. A starving person has one consuming passion: food and water.

As His followers were overlooking the beautiful Sea of Galilee, Jesus explains the final step in achieving true happiness. He states in verse 6, "blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Man wants to be filled but he seeks it in pleasure, riches, vacations, and other surface pursuits, which are only temporal. However, there is a deeper need, a spiritual hunger that only God can fully satisfy. St Augustine put it this way, "thou hast made us for thyself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee." The Bible teaches that true happiness comes only through God's righteousness. John MacArthurs explains it this way: "the heart of every person in the world was created with a sense of inner emptiness and need. Yet apart from God's revelation men do not recognize what the need is or know what will satisfy it. Like the prodigal son they will eat pigs' food, because they know nothing else. The reason is that men have forsaken God, "the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cistern, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jer. 2:13). Though God has created man with a need for Himself, they try to satisfy that need through lifeless gods of their own making."

During the first three verses of His Sermon, Jesus reveals man's need before he can be filled. The poor in spirit recognize their sin and spiritual bankruptcy. They mourn at the eternal separation sin has created between themselves and God. In meekness and with deep humility they stand at the Cross receiving His salvation and are clothed with His righteousness. If you don't recognize your need, you will not want to be filled. Understanding the true nature of your need intensifies your desire to know Him. However, Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns: we are not to hunger and thirst after experiences. There are large numbers of people who spend the whole of their life seeking something which they can never find, seeking for some kind of happiness and blessedness."

If you do not hunger or thirst after God's righteousness, you will never be filled. Jesus made that clear: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35). So here's the deal: hang out with the world and you'll always hunger and thirst; hang out with Jesus and you'll always be filled. You cannot remain neutral at this point! The choice is yours!